Portulaca plant named ‘Balriowite’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Portulaca  plant named ‘Balriowite’ characterized by its white-colored flowers, medium green-colored foliage, and vigorous, low spreading growth habit.

Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed: Portulaca oleracea.

Variety denomination: ‘Balriowite’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPortulaca plant botanically known as Portulaca oleracea and hereinafterreferred to by the cultivar name ‘Balriowite’.

The new cultivar originated in a controlled breeding program in Cartago,Costa Rica during January 2002. The objective of the breeding programwas the development of free flowering Portulaca cultivars withwell-branched, and vigorous, spreading growth habit.

The new cultivar was the result of a self-pollination of the proprietaryPortulaca oleracea breeding selection designated ‘Wild Fire White’, notpatented, characterized by its medium size, white-colored flowers, andcompact, trailing growth habit. The new cultivar was discovered andselected by the inventor as a single flowering plant within the progenyof the above stated self-pollination during June 2002 in a controlledenvironment at Cartago, Costa Rica.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings sinceJune 2002 at Cartago, Costa Rica and West Chicago, Ill. has demonstratedthat the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all characteristics,as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successivegenerations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedlyobserved and can be used to distinguish ‘Balriowite’ as a new anddistinct cultivar of Portulaca plant:

-   -   1. White-colored flowers;    -   2. Medium green-colored foliage; and    -   3. Vigorous, low spreading growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the parent primarily inflower size.

Of the many commercially available Portulaca cultivars known to theinventor, the most similar in comparison to the new cultivar is ‘SummerJoy White’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,326. However, in side by sidecomparisons, plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of ‘SummerJoy White’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new cultivar have more fully opened flowers per        plant at any one time than plants of ‘Summer Joy White’; and    -   2. Plants of the new cultivar have smaller flowers than plants        of ‘Summer Joy White’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompany photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typicalflower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in thephotographs differ slightly from the color values cited in the detaileddescription, which accurately describes the colors of ‘Balriowite’. Theplants were grown in 10 cm pots for 11 weeks in a greenhouse at WestChicago, Ill.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth and flowering habitof ‘Balriowite’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of an individual flower of‘Balriowite’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype mayvary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature,light intensity, and day length, without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is TheR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England,2001 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significanceare used. The color values were determined on Aug. 8, 2005 between 3:00p.m. and 4:00 p.m. under natural light conditions, in West Chicago, Ill.

The following descriptions and measurements describe plants producedfrom cuttings taken from stock plants and grown in a doublepolycarbonate-covered greenhouse under conditions comparable to thoseused in commercial practice. The plants were grown at West Chicago, Ill.in 10 cm pots for 11 weeks utilizing a soilless growth medium.Greenhouse temperatures were maintained at approximately 70° F. to 80°F. (21° C. to 26° C.) during the day and approximately 62° F. to 68° F.(17° C. to 20° C.) during the night. Greenhouse light levels of 5,000 to10,000 footcandles were maintained during the day.

-   Botanical classification: Portulaca oleracea cultivar Balriowite.-   Parentage:    -   -   Parent.—‘Wild Fire White’, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal stem.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 4 to 7 days.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Approximately 14 to 21            days.        -   Root description.—Fibrous.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Crop time.—Approximately 5 to 6 weeks from a rooted cutting.        -   Growth habit and general appearance.—Vigorous, low            spreading.        -   Size.—Height from soil level to top of plant plane:            Approximately 8.9 cm. Height to top of foliage:            Approximately 5.0 cm. Width: Approximately 40.7 cm.        -   Branching habit.—Freely basal branching. Approximately 4            main branches per plant and approximately 18 secondary            branches per plant.        -   Branch.—Strength: Strong. Shape: Square in cross section.            Length: Approximately 25.7 cm. Diameter: Approximately            5.0 mm. Texture: Glabrous. Color of stem: 145B. Internode            length at center of branch: Approximately 2.4 cm.        -   Foliage.—Number of leaves per main branch: Approximately 12.            Fragrance: None. Form: Simple, fleshy succulent.            Arrangement: Alternate. Aspect: Obtuse angle to stem. Shape:            Obovate. Margin: Entire. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Attenuate.            Venation pattern: Pinnate. Length of mature leaf:            Approximately 2.0 cm. Width of mature leaf: Approximately            1.1 cm. Depth of mature leaf: Approximately 1.4 mm. Texture            of upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous. Color of upper            surface of young and mature foliage: 137A with venation of            N144D. Color of lower surface of young and mature foliage:            147B with venation of N144D. Petiole length: Approximately            2.0 mm. Petiole diameter: Approximately 2.0 mm. Petiole            texture: Glabrous. Petiole color: N144D.-   Flowering description:    -   -   Flowering habit.—‘Balriowite’ is freely flowering under            outdoor growing conditions with substantially continuous            blooming from spring through autumn and year round in            greenhouse environment.        -   Time to first flower.—Approximately 11.5 weeks after            sticking of unrooted cutting.        -   Lastingness of individual bloom.—Approximately 1 day.-   Flower description:    -   -   Type.—Solitary, rotate, sessile, not persistent. Quantity of            fully open flowers per plant at eleven weeks: Approximately            15.        -   Bud rate of opening.—Generally takes 1 day for bud to            progress from first color to fully open flower.        -   Bud just before opening.—Shape: Ovate. Length: Approximately            1.2 cm. Diameter: Approximately 6.8 mm. Texture: Glabrous.            Color: 155D.        -   Corolla.—Form: Single. Diameter: Approximately 3.6 cm.            Corolla depth: Approximately: 1.6 cm.        -   Petals.—Quantity: 5. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Emarginate.            Margin: Entire. Appearance: Shiny. Texture of upper and            lower surfaces: Glabrous. Petal length: Approximately            1.8 cm. Petal width: Approximately 1.5 cm. Color of upper            and lower surfaces: Lighter than 155B with small area of            154D at attachment point.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: 2. Shape: Deltoid. Apex:            Mucronate. Sepal length: Approximately 7.6 mm. Sepal width:            Approximately 6.4 mm. Texture of upper and lower surfaces:            Glabrous. Color of upper and lower surfaces: 144C with            venation of 144B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity:            Approximately 67. Stamen length: Approximately 5.0 mm.            Filament color: 145D. Anther shape: Oval, bilobed. Anther            length: Approximately 0.8 mm. Anther color: 2D. Pollen            amount: Abundant. Pollen color: Closest to 25A. Gynoecium:            Pistil quantity: One per flower. Pistil length:            Approximately 1.6 cm. Stigma shape: Five-branched. Stigma            length: Approximately 4.0 mm. Stigma color: 155B. Style            length: Approximately 9.0 mm. Style color: 145C. Ovary            diameter: Approximately 3.0 mm. Ovary color: 144B.-   Seed and fruit production: Neither seed nor fruit production has    been observed.-   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests    common to Portulaca has not been observed.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Portulaca plant named ‘Balriowite’,substantially as herein shown and described.